fatvegan

The author of my microeconomics textbook did some research to see if having studied economics affected the behaviour of individuals.

...we found numerous indications that economists are more likely than others to behave opportunistically in social dilemmas. For example, academic economists were more than twice as likely as members of any other discipline we surveyed to report that they give no many at all to any private charity. Microneconomics and Behaviour (Frank)

They also found that economics students in third year were more likely to expect selfish behaviour from others than they were in first year.

That is so depressing. What is economics doing? Economics is about helping people and helping humanity. Why else would you study it?

Our lecturer commented on this tendency today and asked us how many of us had ever given to charity. About 10 people put their hands up. Everyone laughed.

This year I've come across two people who are studying economics and social science, just like I am. When I first met them, I was really excited. But they're both totally conservative. In a discussion yesterday one guy's solution to discourage gender discrimination in Ukraine was to put economic sanctions on the whole country. It freaks me out that a lot of the people I'm studying with at the moment will probably be running this country in 20 years.